Flyers top pick Carter exudes quiet confidence

By Bill Meltzer

June 27th, 2003

In a draft considered the deepest in a decade, the Philadelphia Flyerstabbed Sault Ste. Marie center Jeff Carter as the cornerstone of theirdriveto replenish the depleted forward depth in the farm system. With theFlyerscenter corps aging and only Patrick Sharp as a potential replacement inthenear future, the organization has an especially dire need to begingroomingcenters who can anchor the attack.

What’s more, the Flyers bypassed some more highly publicized prospectswhowere still on the board when the 11th pick (the first of two Flyersfirstround selections) came up. Fairly or unfairly, Carter’s progress willnow bejudged against that of Zach Parise and Dustin Brown, whom the Flyerselectednot to select. Parise, in particular, will make for heated cannonfodder, ashe ended up with the very team the Flyers and the entire NHL measuresthemselves against: the Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils.

While Philadelphia fans are known to put enormous pressure on theirsportsteams and cut rookies no more slack from booing than the veterans,Carter’seven keel approach should serve him well. If the pressure phases himatall, he doesn’t let on. “I’m just happy to be joining a greatorganization,”he said on draft day.

Flyers assistant coach Craig Hartsburg coached Carter his first yearwith theSoo. Hartsburg’s input helped the Flyers draft contingent, led bygeneralmanager Bob Clarke and assistant general manager Paul Holmgren (whohandlesmost issues related to drafting and player development), make up theirmindsthat Carter was the way to go.

Said Hartsburg, “He has the assets of a player that will go places.He’s anall-around good player and a mature young man with tremendouscharacter.”

Carter is pleased that he’ll be reunited with Hartsburg at some point.“Istarted following [the Flyers] a bit this year, because Craig Hartsburgisnow an assistant there. I started watching a few of the games, andI’d seehim on TV.”

Like most Canadians, hockey is in the London, Ontario native Carter’sblood. “MyDad played one year in the OHL, for Oshawa,” he recalls. “Then, hemoved on,and didn’t play much after that.”

The younger Carter started playing very young. By the age of three, he wasonskates and beginning to learn the rudiments of the game from hisfather. Ashe advanced, he played midget hockey in London and junior B inStrathroybefore moving up to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OntarioHockeyLeague.

The Greyhounds struggled for much of the 2002-2003 season and Cartergot offto a slow start. He also struggled in the post season as well, putting up just apairassists and a -5 rating in four playoff tilts. Nevertheless, Carterimpressedscouts and his coaches by the way he continually worked hard all seasonatboth ends of the ice. He finished with a team high 35 goals and 71points injust 61 regular season games.

“It was definitely a tough year,” says Carter. “It was something youhad tobattle through. I think everybody on the team kind of grew as a personanda player, so I think it is going to help out in the long run.”

Clarke, who always tempers his praise for young players, says that he isimpressed by Carter’s combination of size, speed and skill. While theFlyerslooked at three different centers for the eleventh spot in the draft,theychose Carter because “he can really skate for a guy his size and wethink hecan be a very solid National Hockey League center for us.”

Like all young players, there are questions about how well Carter’sframewill fill out and whether his game will translate from junior toprofessional success. Thus, the offseason goals Carter set for himselfare“to put some size on in the summer. Just keep working on foot speed,andgetting quicker.”

Despite his modesty and soft-spoken manner, Carter is a confident youngmanwho has his sights set high. Asked to describe his assets as a player,hereplied, “I think I’m an offensive forward. I can put the puck in thenet.I use my size to drive wide and [also] work down low and battle forpucks.”

In a nod to the organization that just drafted him, Carter said that hepatterns his game after that of Flyers captain Keith Primeau, as wellasrising Boston Bruins’ superstar Joe Thornton because “they are bigcentermen who can put the puck in the net. I think they’re just goodall-around players.”

While Carter is not an especially aggressive player and, unlike PrimeauandThornton, is unlikely to regularly hit triple digit penalty minuteseachseason, the player is not afraid to get his nose dirty, according tobothHartsburg and Holmgren.

“He doesn’t back down from the physical play,” said Hartsburg. “Hecompetesevery game.”